Somerset woman refused Blue Badge after heart attack left her needing a wheelchair

Bath and North East Somerset Council controls the allocation of Blue Badges (Image: Birmingham Mail/Google)

Sign up to FREE email alerts from SomersetLive - Bath Live

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

A woman who has been left needing a wheelchair for two months after suffering a heart attack has been refused a Blue Badge for her car.

Karen Walker, 55, suffered the attack on November 13 and was in hospital for two days at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

As part of her recovery, she was informed she would be unable to drive for one month and would need to use a wheelchair for any significant walking.

Mrs Walker, from Midsomer Norton, applied for a Blue Badge for her car to enable her to use disabled parking spaces to help her go about her daily life, but was informed she did not meet the criteria for a badge and her application was refused.

She has now criticised the apparent lack of flexibility in the allocation process after she was told the council did not allocate badges on a short-term basis.

Today's top stories

'Disgusted' by 'unbelievable' decision

She said: "Disgusted doesn’t even come close, and I think that this is a major omission in the Blue Badge parking scheme at the local level, and in the care of local people.

"If they wanted to allow me one and then re-test me in six months and take it away again because I no longer fit the criteria that is well within their rights.

"It's rubbish. To be told this - it's crazy, it's unbelievable.

"Hundreds of people must be affected like this and there must be plenty of people who live alone or don't have someone who can care from them who have heart attacks. They will be in twice the dire straits I am.

"I don't want to be subjected to abuse from mums for using mother and baby spaces but if I have to do that I will explain why - it's not because I want to."

What the council said

Blue Badge applications and allocation are handled by Bath and North East Somerset Council.

The council's website says anyone applying for a Blue Badge must allow 6-12 weeks for the application to be processed.

A spokesman for the council said it was sympathetic with Mrs Walker's situation but the process for obtaining a badge could not be altered.

Martin Shields, the council’s corporate director, said: “We are sorry to hear that one of our residents has been struggling with parking arrangements at a difficult time.

"The council issues Blue Badges for three-year periods under strict guidance provided by the Department for Transport (DfT), which states that applicants must have an enduring and substantial disability in order to be eligible."

Do you have a view on this or another local story to share? Email jack.colwill@reachplc.com.

Want more news?

To subscribe to our daily newsletter, enter your email address into the box at the top of this story.

To keep up to date with our latest news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter .